Modern Skills for Teachers

Whether you've used modern technology in the classroom or you're new to all of it, here's a few articles on how to apply these skills to your job hunt or new job. Don't worry, it's easier than it sounds!

Welcome to another edition of “Reader Questions”! Here’s a questions from Terry that he left on the 50+ Jobs for Former Teachers link roundup. Do you have a question? Leave a comment on this post or contact me!

Hi Sarah,

I’ve been following your blog now for a few months and I have a question regarding the skill set needed for say an Instructional Designer position. I have been watching LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Indeed job sites for job openings and many of those jobs under IDS say things like Captivate, Wimba, iSpring, LAMS among a host of other Learning Management Systems are necessary to perform designated job duties. How does one become proficient in these software systems that are prohibitively expensive?

Having conducted a few informational interviews with trainers and designers, they all say get the ATD (formerly ASTD) certification (also very expensive). Does one really have to spend money on either training or certification to become a skilled Instructional Designer? I spent a bit on my Masters and don’t want to set myself back any further. As a long-time EFL teacher ready to bring the family back home, any advice on building a portfolio or updating the résumé would be helpful as well.

Thanks for your time Sarah and I hope that my question helps others looking for similar answers!

– Terry in USA

Hi Terry,

Thanks so much for stopping by with a comment! Like all things career, the answer to your awesome question is complicated and takes a little gambling. Here’s how I see it:

1. Yes, Hiring Managers Like Degrees

An advanced degree will almost always help you get an interview and then possibly get the job. A degree or certification not only indicates knowledge and experience, but it also indicates commitment. That allows hiring managers feel safe knowing you’re a professional. (Keep in mind, though, that an advanced teaching degree such as a Master’s in Arts in Teaching counts as an advanced degree! My husband once got the interview for an ISD job based on his Master’s in Arts in Teaching degree and by doing a few of the things listed below.)

2. But That’s Not All They Like

…However, an advanced degree is not the only way to establish knowledge, experience, and commitment! It’s just the easiest, and that’s why it’s so expensive (It can be done good, fast, or or cheap, but you only get to pick two, right?).

I deeply believe that anyone can put together a self-education path using free and low-cost resources online that will establish them as a professional in a given field. (See also: The Personal MBA at http://personalmba.com/manifesto/).

For the example of ISD, you’re absolutely correct that the technologies are prohibitively expensive. But there are a few workarounds to get *some* experience on your resume: each of the platforms offers a free trial, so you could download one per month over the summer with a book from the library and throw yourself into creating sample lessons and learning experiences (a spec portfolio). For bonus points, you could also time the trial for when you have an interview so that you could custom create a learning experience for the company you interview with.

You could also get in touch with a nearby library or college library and see what technology they offer (for free) on their onsite computers (AKA the local library where I live has a digital media lab with a 3D printer and other crazy things I don’t even know about). So… it’s definitely not easy, but it’s doable if you wanted to hack it.

3. You Can Cherry Pick Your Job Applications

You may not qualify for a job at a company that prefers the creme de la creme experts with advanced degrees, but that’s fine because you don’t need a job there, you just need a job to get your foot in the door.

When you’re taking the self-educated path, I would focus on smaller businesses like start-ups that want the skills but can’t pay big bucks for the education and experience. They’ll be more likely to 1) not care that your degree is in something related but not specific, or 2) that you created your portfolio on spec (they just want to see your work). They’re also less likely to do the impersonal form application, which is a real pain and unlikely to lead to a job (the majority of people still find jobs through good old fashioned personal acquaintances).

4. Everyone Loves a Hard Worker

Self-education and hard work may not be as sexy to some hiring managers as an advanced degree, but it is darn attractive to most realistic ones!

Think about it in terms of what people want to see in a job candidate. A genuine, hard-working person who is committed to ISD and can explain how his teaching career lead him to realize that he was meant to be an ISD (with a great self-made portfolio) would definitely hold sway.

Finally, I have it on good authority from a director of HR friend that a self-educated candidate who put the time into building the portfolio and could demonstrate the necessary skills for a job in his interview/portfolio/sample work would be an attractive candidate for a job.

I hope this helps, Terry! The #1 thing is to be persistent once you know what you want. I know the process is difficult and frustrating, but “the world will get out of the way for a man on a mission!”

It’s that glorious time of year when teachers around the country desperately shift into “Survival Mode” to live out the short weeks between Thanksgiving Break and Christmas Break.

If that’s you right now… I feel you!

I, too, lived in that in-between space where you try to figure out if you can finish off a given unit in time for the holidays, given that tons of students are absent. Planning the test so that there’s enough time for re-takes and grading before the holiday… but not so soon that there’s dead time that will get you in trouble with your department head or principal.

(PSST… if you teach 9th grade English, I had a lot of success with “story diagramming” episodes of Spongebob Squarepants. ;-))

Anyway. Here’s a post for you to send to your family members to help them shop for you this Christmas (or for picking out some special somethings for yourself).

For staying happy in the classroom…

Fred Jone’s Tools for Teachers

Hands down the best discipline book you can find. It’s the only one I ever read that has actual practical tips that you can walk into the classroom with TOMORROW and feel more confident and in control. It also has long-term ideas for improving your classroom discipline, but when things are bad it’s more important to have immediate relief.

Dr. David Burn’s Feeling Good

Sadness strikes everyone at some time or another. This book will help you approach stress and emotional depression with mental tools so that you can pull it together for those important days (and get a sub for mental health days!)

Dr. Cloud and Townsend’s Boundaries

People who choose to teach are natural givers. So it’s no wonder they end up burnt out, tired, and emotionally destroyed. Sometimes they give too much! This book will help you figure out your values and learn how to say “No” to things that suck up your energy.

For super-classy interviewing…

Classy, thick pens

Leave your Bics at home. Get some nice, thick, black-ink pens so that you feel business-like when you jot down interview notes. Works great for phone interviews, too! These are my absolute favorite pens… I recommend the .7mm or the 1.0mm for thick, wet-looking writing.

A simple leather portfolio folder

Even if you don’t bring anything to the interview, successful people are always prepared to write something down. Bring paper, pens, copies of your resume, and busniess cards in a simple, classy portfolio to appear more polished than you feel. (Don’t feel polished? Keep reading interview advice).

A printer to print samples, samples, and more samples

Good interviewers show their stuff, with as many numbers and charts as possible. (Think: test scores, student club members, etc). And that means you’ll need a nice printer, paper, and ink so you aren’t running to FedEx all the time.

For relaxing at home…

Melatonin-regulating glasses

These are going to make you look super-hilarious walking around your home, but they’re FANTASTIC for helping you calm down and de-stress after a long day at work. These glasses block the blue UV light from lightbulbs and electronic devices (think TV, laptop, iPad, smartphone) to let your brain slowly wind down at the end of the day. Magical.

Epsom salts (and/or essential oils)

You’re bathing for sure, so why not make it a 30-minute hot bath with a good magazine? Adding lavender (or coconut butter, or an oil of your choice) will also help make it a spa-like experience. Throw in some candles, too.

Relaxing sounds

We’re basically just trying to recreate a spa atmosphere, so relaxing spa CDs are awesome, too. I also love this 3HR relaxing tones YouTube video and listen to it a few times a week when I’m really stressed.

Is there anything else on your Happy-Teacher, Job-Seeker wishlist?

In this real story of life after teaching, we hear from S in the UK and her mini-interview with a CEO about why she is leaving teaching. Please note this is not a photo of S.

Hello Sarah,

I have been in contact before and have brought your E-book.

Just reaching out for some advice really– since leaving teaching, I have been temporarily working for a company. The CEO is interested in talking to me to see my potential for staying within the company. He is particularly interested in finding out what I have left teaching. I am not sure how I can professionally re-word– I hated the life style of being a teacher!

Any words of advice?

-S. in U.K.

Hello S,

That is so, so exciting to hear! Congratulations!

Which industry the company is in will help you identify the best way to reframe your answer. For example, when I first left I was going from teaching English to a job writing and editing. My response was that I was proud of the work I’d done with my students, but I loved English, words, and language, more than I loved the educational process or working with students, and that I wanted to leave to give someone else a chance to teach if they enjoyed it more.

For the job, that was very appropriate because the work I was doing would change from student-focused to English-focused. (I also very, very lightly touched on not enjoying the state of education and teaching requirements, but I kept it professional).

Whatever your answer, here’s the thing: 1) It’s not lying if you avoid saying you want more money or you hated the students. It’s just looking at your experience in a different way and a way that will help the CEO understand your reasons, and 2) Stay positive like crazy. You can always share teaching horror stories after you’re hired ( 🙂 ), but being negative in an interview situation will unfortunately exaggerate your negativity.

Focus on being proud of what you did accomplish as a teacher, share that there are experiences you’ll miss (maybe one, right?), but that you are so excited about this new industry that you feel good about your decision every day and look forward to a long career in it.

If you can find a way to tie in this new job with your ultimate purpose or skill set (such as, I didn’t get to do as much [project management, computer skills, administrative stuff, etc] as when I was teaching, and I really enjoy that now).

It also might help to think about where this person is coming from– is he worried you washed out of teaching or did something to be fired? If so, emphasize how sorry your principal was to see you go or that your students were sad to see you go (whatever is true). Normalize your transition to him so that it doesn’t seem like he’s picking up someone who wasn’t successful in a different career– in reality, he’s picking up a hard worker who knows how to make tough decisions and risks!

Questions about how to talk about leaving teaching? Leave them in the comments!

Type in your contact information below & I'll send you a FREE report featuring interviews from 5 real-life teachers who've successfully transitioned out of the classroom. (The best part? That could easily be you!)